III. Dependence of the Gulf States on external security guarantees The previous part of the essay focused mainly on the internal political dimensions of instability and conflict in the Arab part of the Gulf. Other factors of instability in the Gulf belong to the systemic level of the Gulf subregion. One such factor is the current regional security architecture, which favors dependence on the United States for the provision of defense and deterrence assets. Part of the problem is that US security guarantees result in a lack of consensus and cooperation among the Gulf states themselves, which ultimately fuels conflict. It could be argued that American security commitments and lack of cooperation reinforce each other and form a vicious cycle. According to this logic, the weaker the consensus among states, the greater the tensions, which in turn increases the demand for greater external security. But the more intense the presence of external actors, the higher the price of consensus. Simply put, the more the region relies on US security guarantees, the less secure and stable it becomes. An instructive example of why Gulf states require security guarantees is the case of Kuwait, since following the Iraqi invasion Kuwait was forced to balance between Iran on the one hand and Saudi Arabia on the other and, to resist, the Kuwaiti authorities have asked to intensify the partnership with the Americans. Most of the small Gulf Arab states find themselves in the same situation faced with Saudi dominance in the GCC and territorial claims from Iran, meaning that security guarantees are equally vital for them. However, this has two negative consequences. First, the intensification of US security guarantees... half of the article... n University Press, 1984.3. Dessouki A., Korany B. The foreign policy of the Arab states. – Westview Press, 1991.4. Doran MS The Saudi paradox. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/59530/michael-scott-doran/the-saudi-paradox5. Gause G. Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Gulf Arab States. – Council on Foreign Relations, 6.1994. Halliday F. Islam and the myth of confrontation. – IB Tauris, 7.2003. Haseeb K. Arab-Iranian relations. – Center for Arab Unity Studies, 1998.8. KE Chamber On Saudi Arabia. – Alfred A. Knopf, 9.2012. Moore WP Rentier Fiscal crisis and regime stability: business-state relations in the Gulf.10. Sick G., Potter L. The Persian Gulf at the Millennium: essays on politics, economics, security and religion. – New York, 11.1997. Wendt A. Anarchy is what states make of it. c.ucsc.edu/~rlipsch/Pol272/Wendt.Anarch.pdf